In this 2014 photo, a smartphone is mounted on the glass of an Uber car in Mumbai, India. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

(Newser)
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Uber is adding a safety feature for customers in Chicago—they'll be able to press a "panic button" as part of the Uber app if they feel threatened by a driver, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. Of course, the very fact that Uber feels compelled to roll out an SOS button isn't such great news, but the company is trying to ease concerns after two drivers in the city were accused of sexually assaulting passengers in recent months. The button is expected to be in place within the year, and it follows the rollout of a similar button, for similar reasons, in India earlier this month.

The idea is to allow passengers to alert police quickly if they're endangered, and it appears that Chicago will be the first US city to have such a feature in place. The company already provides a "safe ride checklist" for passengers in Chicago and Boston, notes theChristian Science Monitor. The safety features can help, but the Monitor notes that the real issue is making sure that drivers are adequately screened. (Uber may soon start using "robo-cabs.")

“ It’s nice knowing Uber is willing to do everything it can to protect its customers short of properly screening its drivers. ” Sally Wolfgang – Grant Writer Uber adding Panic Button for its Chicago passengers With Uber it is hard to the difference between satire and reality

Dennis

Feb 15, 2015 9:32 PM CST

I've had great experiences with Uber, but in gotta say: "within the year?" There's no good reason that button can't be available by the time I punch the period at the end of this comment.

RossR

Feb 15, 2015 9:32 AM CST

I have a crazy idea for not getting sexually assaulted but it just might work. Don't use Uber!